This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Week of September 29, 2004

See this, "Detail of Plan for Wall Drawings for
Laumeier," on Tuesday.

Wednesday, September 29

Let us reminisce, just for a moment, about the days of college and the nearly mandatory trip to Europe (yeah, yeah, we know it's annoying, just let us do it anyway). Strolling down London's Portobello Road and browsing the goods was a great way to spend a Saturday. See these smashing black cargo trousers? That's right, we got them in that little part of the foggy city (which really wasn't all that foggy, actually). Maybe you too can find such a stylish treasure at the Friends of Kirkwood Library's British-style garage sale, also known as a Jumble Sale. Have a jolly good time peering through the displays in the library's parking lot (140 East Jefferson Avenue) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. And in perfect taste, the friends offer all who enter (for free of course) complimentary lemonade and cookies (no tea). Cheers! For more information call 314-821-5770, extension 23.

Thursday, September 30

Some people are super-serious at Cardinals games. You know the type: They keep score (we don't have the heart to tell them that there're giant scoreboards that do it for you), and they eat only the purest of baseball foods, the bag of peanuts. Then there are others who embrace technology and realize that Dippin' Dots really are the ice cream of the future and that pizza goes better with a million-dollar beer than stuff you have to shell to eat. No matter the type of baseball-game watcher you are, there's room for you at the last Cardinals home stand before the playoffs. That's right, the Cardinals vs. Milwaukee series, starting tonight (at 7:10 p.m.) and playing through Sunday, October 3, still has tickets ($9 to $49) for you. Pretend like it's the postseason as you enjoy America's pastime -- we know you didn't sleep outside to actually get playoff tickets. And this is the second-to-last regular-season series to be played in the old Busch Stadium (Broadway and Walnut streets; 314-421-2400) -- enjoy it.

Friday, October 1

Dear St. Louis Nerds: Mr. Night would like to apologize for all the ribbing he's given you over the past year. His comments about geekiness and virginity and your mother's basement were a sort of self-loathing; Mr. Night is one of you. Fourteen thousand comic books, a large collection of Star Wars figures, late-night arguments about flaws in the magic system of Dungeons & Dragons: Oh yes, Mr. Night is one of you. So join him for all four days of Archon (Thursday, September 30, through Sunday, October 3) at the Gateway Convention Center (Highway 157 and I-55, Collinsville, Illinois; 618-345-8998). The science-fiction and fantasy convention promises gaming, videos, comic books, toys, guest appearances by George Takei and the Trans-Iowa Canal Company's play Kill Bill Shatner. Let's kiss and make up. You can buy a $25 pass good for Thursday (5 to 11 p.m.) and Friday (9 a.m. to midnight) admission, and we'll meet by the DVD table. Sincerely, Mr. Night.

Saturday, October 2

There are times in your life when the only food that can comfort you is a cheese sandwich. To comfort all of us, that sandwich would have to be huge. Fortunately for everyone, Hautly Cheese Company has decided to celebrate its 70th anniversary by constructing a 70-Foot-Long Cheese Sandwich. And this baby ain't just Cheddar and white bread; no, this is 70 feet of fresh-baked bread stuffed with an herbed ricotta spread and other Hautly premium cheeses, plus seasonal herbs from the Saint Louis University garden. That's a big sammich, bubba. You can claim your piece between 1 and 3 p.m. in the Lord & Taylor Court at Westfield Shoppingtown West County (I-270 and Manchester Road; 314-288-2020). Lisa and Alan Hautly help with the construction, and for a cash donation (which goes to support SLU's garden), you can enjoy a fraction of the giant cheese sandwich. But Big Cheesy will live forever in our collective memory!

Sunday, October 3

You know what they say about people who live in gingerbread houses: They should throw more parties, because everybody loves to nibble on a gingerbread windowsill! But if you can't swing the mortgage on one of these sweet abodes, you can at least see scale models of them at the Gingerbread House Showcase at the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park. As part of the zoo's Ottertoberfest activities, a group of pastry chefs display their architectural skills between noon and 3 p.m., and inspired kids can try their hands at building one of the tasty shacks in the craft corner. You can also partake of the more traditional, non-gingerbread Ottertoberfest activities of live music, the biergarten (adults only, please) and the craft booths. Admission to the zoo is free, and more info is available at www.stlzoo.org or by calling 314-781-0900.

Monday, October 4

We're just this close to the kick-off of the Harold Arlen centennial! Arlen, born in 1905, is the songwriting genius behind classics such as "Stormy Weather," "It's Only a Paper Moon" and "Over the Rainbow." The Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble gets a jump on the birthday party with the TKT Memorial Jazz Scholarship Concert. At 7 p.m. in Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; 314-968-7128), vocalists Sherry Drake, Ralph Butler and Debby Lennon join the WFJE for this special fundraising performance of Arlen's music. Your $10 donation goes to the scholarship established in the names of Terry Jackson, Kirk Cappello and Tony Saputo, Webster alumni who were killed in a plane crash in 1991. A reception follows the concert, so you can do a good deed, enjoy a little music, then have a nosh. Not bad for a Monday.

Tuesday, October 5

As you can see by the large image on the other page, artist Sol LeWitt rocks. Many of his works are part of the Tate Collection, and his Wall Drawing #146 is part of the Guggenheim Collection (just to name a couple of prestigious places that have LeWitt's work). But maybe prestige doesn't interest you -- don't worry, the work can and will stand on its own, literally, at the Sol LeWitt Indoor/Outdoor Exhibition, opening October 2 at Laumeier Sculpture Park (12580 Rott Road; 314-821-1209). In addition to creating some indoor wall drawings (like the one pictured) especially for Laumeier, the artist has allowed an outdoor concrete-block sculpture to be installed indefinitely on the park's grounds. This is the first Tuesday to see the work; drop by the museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today or any day (except Monday; call for Sunday hours) before January 16. That's when the indoor art will be painted over! No joke! Visit www.laumeier.org for more info on the artist and the exhibit.